Jace is 5.

Jace is 5.

How did that happen?

5 years sounds like a long time...until you have a 5 year old.

And then you wonder, how did that baby turn into a toddler, and now into a KID?

Jace has grown so much in the last year.  SO much.

He's learned letters, counting, and he is really coming out of his shell.

One time, this winter, he ran through the hallway while Jed and I were at the kitchen table.  Jed asked him what he was doing and without missing a beat Jace answered him, "Nothing you need to worry about."  Ummmmm.....okay.....right.

One night Connor was already in bed and Jed and I were joking back and forth about how athletic we were in high school, and Jace pipes up and says, "What is wrong with you two?"

He seems to catch everything now.  You can't have a whisper conversation, and the Christmas and Birthday lists will have to be hidden in the next year when he learns to read.

What?  My baby, reading?  Going to Kindergarten? *Sob*

It is so much fun watching him learn and grow, but good grief, time needs to slow down!

Our puny little boy, that only weighs about 10 more pounds than his sister that is three years younger than him, is doing plenty of growing UP.  I bought him new jeans in February because his Old Navy 4T's were TOO SHORT.  Not too small, too short.  We still buy the ones with elastic in the waistband.  So I got him some 5T's that were from Children's Place, a different brand, and they were HUGE.  Not too long, but the waist was HUGE.  So, back to 4T's he went, from Children's Place, with the elastic waistband.

A month later, they are two inches too short.  What?!  I can only hope he gets his Dad's height.  And his coordination too....

But a benefit to him not weighing very much...I can still carry my sleepy boy up and down the stairs in the morning or at night...and he has this way of tucking his arms in between mine so he is "snuggled in" I guess.  Sigh.  I love those moments.

Jace is my best helper.  My BEST helper.  He loves Connor and is always (usually) wanting to play with her, loves helping her get her coat and shoes on, loves putting her in the wagon and taking her for a ride.  I can only hope and pray that because of the big age gap they always feel this way about each other. 

Some of his Favorites:

Color: Green

Team: K-State, and Royals

Food: Pancakes

Book: Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude

Movie: How to Train Your Dragon 2

Favorite Thing about Dad: Farming

Favorite Thing about Mom: That Mom puts him to bed (that's one of my favorites too!)

Favorite Thing about Connor: That he plays with her, and shares the iPad with her, and helps her get dressed.

Sport: Baseball

When he grows up he wants to be.....a FARMER. (Surprise!) OR a Pioneer Customer, or a Pioneer Worker (That actually was surprising...)

Oh Jace.  You are an extraordinary little man.  We love you to pieces and can't imagine life without you.  Happy 5th Birthday!

Now, let's see what the next 365 days bring.....